Device for removing butter, &amp;c., from vessels.



No. 677,732. Patented July 2, I90l.

Y W. M. BLANEY.

DEVICE FORREIIOVING BUTTER, 81.0., FROM VESSELS.

(Application filed ma, 1900.

(In Ilodal.)

w/fieases: lbvvenibru UNITED STATES PATENT UEETCE.

WILLIAM M. BLANEY, OF HOMER, YORK.

DEVICE FOR REMOVING BUTTER, &,C., FROM VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 677,732, dated July 2, 1901.

Application filed December 6, 1900. Serial No. 38.933. (1T0 model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. BLANEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Homer, in the county of Cortland, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Removing Butter, Lard, and the Like from Vessels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention has for its object to provide an instrument for facilitating the removal of butter, lard, and the like in a convenient and presentable form and in any desired quantity from the original barrel, tub, or firkin in which it is packed.

To the above ends the invention consists in a universally-adjustable knife-blade or cutter mounted on a rotary spindle adapted to be journaled centrally of the vessel, whereby said knife may be adjusted to any height and the spindle rotated to sever a layer of butter from the body or bulk of the mass. This layer may be subsequently divided by hand or otherwise into sections for removal and sale or use.

The invention further contemplates the use of a vertical blade adjustable radially for cutting the layers into concentric rings or segments of suitable thickness.

In the removing of butter, lard, and like substances from a containing vessel, while it is comparatively easy to make vertical cuts in the mass by means of an ordinary knife or paddle it is very diflicult to make the horizontal cuts, so as to divide the mass into horizontal layers, even when small sections are removed at a time, and hence the desirability of a device which may be conveniently utilized for cutting the mass into layers will be at once appreciated and the use of a device constructed in accordance with my present invention will be readily understood.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a barrel which may be said to contain butter or lard, with a device embodying my present improve ments in place and a section of the wall of the barrel broken away to show said device within the barrel. Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of the device itself, showing the adjustable brace for the central spindle, the adjustable knife, and the adjustable vertical cutter applied to the knife. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the knife with its carrying-block, through which the rotary spindle passes.

Like letters of reference in the several fig ures indicate the same parts.

The device is adapted for use in removing the contents of either large or small receptacles, and for this reason the central stem A is made of sufficient length to project above the deepest receptacle likely to be used, and the block B is adjustably mounted on the stem, so as to be capable of adjustment to any desired point in the length of the stem andto be clamped in its adjusted position bya screw or other similar fastening device C. Sliding in the block B or suitably adjustably connected therewith is a laterally-projecting knife or blade D, preferably rounded at the end 61 and having both of its edges sharpened, so as to be capable of cutting in either direction. In the preferred construction also the bevel on each edge of the knife is toward the upper side, whereby the surface of the bulk of material left below the removed layer will be substantially fiat and smooth, and, furthermore, when the bottom of the receptacle is reached the last particle of the material may be separated therefrom by the knife. The knife is made adjustable toward and from the stem A, so as to operate in vessels of larger or smaller diameter, or where a barrel having ditferent diameters at difierent points in its height constitutes the vessel the said knife may be adjusted to cut the material at any point.

Where large vessels are employed, it is in many instances desirable to cut the layers into true annular rings, so that each ring may be subdivided into blocks or segments by means of the ordinary knifeor paddle, and for this purpose I provide a supplemental cutter G, adapted to be clamped on the blade D .in such manner that it may be slipped toward or from the central spindle A and used to make vertical circular cuts in the bulk of the butter or in the layers after they have been severed from the bulk. The upper end of the stem A is provided with a handle S, by

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means of which it may be turned, and in order to steady this upper end and hold it centrally of the vessel the brace H, having adjustable ends I, adapted to contact with the inner sides of the upper edge of the vessel, is provided. Brace H may be adjusted by manipulating the set-screws t' and adjustable ends I to fit any size of vessel and when adj usted in position it is obvious will hold the central stem steady during the cutting operations.

Inthe practical use of the device an opening is made in the bulk of material in the vessel for the admission of the block B and blade D to the depth desired 'for the thickness of the layer to be removed. The said block B and blade are then adjusted on the stem A and the stem inserted and thrust down to the bottom of the vessel, where its sharpened point engages said bottom and holds the lower end steady, with the knife in the material at the desired depth. By rotating the central stem A the knife is caused to describe a circle and sever the upper layer of butter or other material from the bulk below it. Should it then be desired to sever the layer into concentric rings, the supplemental blade G may he slipped on the knifeblade and the blade, if desired, adjusted above the layer, when the handle may be turned as before, causing the blade G to describe a circle, and by again adjusting the i said blade G other circles may be described and the layer out into as many rings as desired. For retail purposes obviously this is a convenient method of enabling the butter to be removed from the vessel in presentable and convenient shape, and at the same time the bulk of material remaining in the vessel is not messed up, and, furthermore, Where a pickle or preserving-brine is employed it does not have to be drawn 06 before or during the cutting operations.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device for removing butter, lard and the like from vessels the combination with a central vertical stem, of a knife-blade projecting at right angles to said stem and ad justable longitudinally of said stem with means for securing the blade in its adjusted position; substantially as described.

2. In a device for removing butter, lard and the like from vessels the combination with the central rotary stem, adjustable brace for holding said stem centrally of the vessel and block longitudinally adjustable on said stem, of ahorizontally-projecting knife mounted in the block; substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described for removing butter, lard and the like from vessels, the combination with the central rotary stem, brace for holding said stem centrally of the vessel, adjustable knife projecting at right angles to the stem and the vertically-arranged supplemental blade adj ustably mounted on said knife; substantially as described.

- WVILLIAM M. BLANEY. Witnesses:

. MABEL B. HYATT, F. R. THOMPSON. 

